Electrical gas lighting-apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

T. H. RHODES.

LLLGTRLGAL GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

N0. 257,070. Patented Apr.25, 1882.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet- T. H. RHODES.

ELBGTRIGAL-GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS. v

No. 257,070. Patented Apr. 25, 1882.

hPATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. RHODES, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

ELECTRICAL GAS-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,070, dated April 25, 1882.

Application tiled March 13, 1882. (No model.)

To all Iwhom it may concern Be it known that I, 'I HoMAs H. RHODES, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvementin Electric GasLighting Apparatus, ot which the following is a specification.

Gas-burner cocks have been operated by an electric current actin g on an electro-magnet to turn the cock, and at the same time a spark has been drawn for the ignition of the gas.

In myimprovement I employ a sliding valve which is acted upon bythe armature of one lnagnet to move such valve in one direction and open the gasway, or by another magnet to move the valve in the other direction and close the gasway. I provide a spring-arm that is operated by the electro-magnet for producing a spark, and I arrange the circuits in such a manner that a thermal cireuitcloser makes connection while the gas is burning with the magnet that acts to close the cock when a Current is sent over the line l'or that purpose.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the burner and the magnet that closes the gas way or tube. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the magnet that opens the gas-tube. Fig. 3 is an elevation at right angles to Figsl and 2. Fig. 4 is a section of the cock and gasway, and Figs. 5 and G are diagrams of the. circuit-connections.

The gasburner a is at the end of the gastube b. This is attached to any ordinary gas pipe on a chandelier, bracket, lam'p-post, or any gas-fixture. In the gastube b there is a trans versehole that contains a sliding valve, c. Said valve may be cylindrical or prismatic, and may have a hole through it to form the gasway; but I prefer to have a groove or neck turned in it, as shown in Fig. et. The end motion to this valve is limited by heads or ilanges at each end. When this valve is pushed in one direction, as seen in Fig. 4, the groove corresponds with the tubular gasway b and allows the gas to pass; but when the valve is moved endwise the other, wayinto the positions shown in Figs. l and 2 the gasway is closed by the plug-valve filling the gasway.

I employ the electro-magnet f to move the valve to open the gas-pipe and the magnet g to close it. These' magnets are of ordinary ch aracter, and the respective armatures f and g are provided with arms or fin gers that are at opposite ends ofthe valve c. The spark-points h and i. areiu thecircuitot' the magnetf. The point 'i is upon a lever pivoted at s, and the lower end is bent toward the armature f', so that when the electric current has been sent over the wires or conductors it energizes the magnetf, attracts the armaturef, moves the valve endwise, opensthe gasway to the burner, and then the armature, when close to the magnet, exerts its force to overcome the spring ot' the arm 'i and separate the points and produce a spark to ignite the gas. This movement of the spark-point breaks the circuit to the magnet f, the armature falls back, the spark-points close, and the magnet is again energized and draws the spark, and so on as long as the current is continued until the gas is lighted and the current is shunted, as hereinafter set forth.

I employ a thermal spring, r, in the circuit leading to the magnetf, the same being placed between the posts I and 2, and the bow of the spring r is at the base of the flame, so that it will become warm and expand sufliciently to cause the loose end of such thermal spring to leave the post 2 and form a contact with the post at point 3. This contact will be -maintained so long as the gas is burning. I use this thermal spring as a switch, so that the electric circuit will be broken at 2 and closed at 3. This thermal switch is available for ringing a burglar or other alarm, as hereinafter shown; but if it is only employed in circuits for lighting and extinguishing the gas there will be a wire between the post 3 and magnet g, as shown in Fig. 3 and by the dotted line, Fig. 5, so that it' a current is sent over the electric circuit after the heat of the llame has expanded the spring i' it will go by l l' 3 to g, and thence to ground, preferably by the gas-pipe itself, and by energizing the magnetg the armature g will be moved to cause the valve e to close the gas-pipe and extinguish the ilame. It is to be borne in mind that with these circuit-connections the current must be interrupted as soon as the gas is lighted and only connected in the circuit when the gas is to bc extinguished; otherwise the expansion of the spring r by the heat would switch the IOO ' next burner, and so on, as indicated by the diagram, Fig. (i, any desired number of lamps 1 may be placed in circuit, because after one lamp is lighted the thermal spring closes the circuit to the next lamp and cuts out the magnet at its own lamp. In this case the lamps can be extinguished by a separate line-wire to the extinguishing-maguetsg, asshowniu Fig. 6.

In dwelling-houses it is often desirable to connect the gas-burner with a burglar-alarm or with acircuit-eloser operated automatically, so that on opening a door or window the gas may be ignited. To effect these objects I have represented in the diagram, Fig. 5, a battery at e and eircuit-closers at p and q. These circuit-closers may be operated automatically in connection with burglar-alarms, or they may be operated by hand. The circuit-closer p is represented as self-closing when the door e is swung open. Then the circuit is closed at p the current energizes the magnet f and lights the gas, as aforesaid. When the circuit is closed at q the magnetgacts to extinguish the gas, the current passing from n, by q and g, to ground and returns to battery. When the circuits are connected up, as seen in- Fig. 5, the thermal spring will act as soon as the gas is lighted to close the circuit to the bell or other alarm at w, and this should be closed on the back stop of the armature, so as to keep up an alarm until the circuit is broken, which may be effected by the switch at x.

A push-button, u, placed in the circuit to the burner, allows the gas to be lighted by hand.

The automatic circuit-closers may be more or less numerous and connected in circuits similar to those in burglar-alarms. The connections shown in the diagrams serve to illustrate the general mode of applying the circuitclosers.

I do not in this application lay any claim to a valve having a seat and moved endwise by the action of one or more magnets. In myimprovement the valve, being parallel-sided, has

no seat, and it opens aud closes the gasway without requiring any pressure to hold the valve tightly to its place. The valve may have more or less motion, and its momentum under the sudden action of an electro-magnet will insure a complete movement in either direction, so as to entirely open or shut the gasway.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with a gas-burner, of a sliding parallel-sided valve passing across and acting to open and close the gasway, and two electro-magnets and their armatures acting at opposite ends ofthe valve to move itin either direction, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,witl1thc gas-burner, sliding valve, and two electroanagnets and their armatures for actuating the valve, of a thermostatic circuitcloscr acting to divert thecircuit-connection from the iguiting-magnet to the extinguishing-magnet, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination, with the magnet und burner in an electric gas-lighting apparatus, of a sliding parallel-sided valve with a groove or neck thereon, adapted to move transversely across the pipe and open and close thc'gasf a thermal switch to change the cireuit-conuec- 9o tions when the gas is burning, and-local circuitconnections and circuit-closersp q, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 9th day of March, A. D. 1882.

THOS. H. RHODES.

Witnesses:

Guo. T. PiN'cirNEY, CHAs. l-I. SMITH. 

